brown



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

P. 0. BROWN.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented July 13, 1897.

HVVENTOH WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. 0. BROWN. GAR COUPLING.

No. 586,528. Patented July 13, 1897.

WITNESSES." IIVVEIVTOH ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP O. BROYVN, OF COLUMBUS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF FIFTY-THREEONE-HUNDREDTHS TO JOSEPH I. IRYVIN, OF SAME PLACE.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 586,528, dated July 13,1897.

Application filed September 21, 1896. Serial No 606,474. (No model.) i

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, PHILIP 0. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,residing at C0- lumbus, in the county of Bartholomew and State ofIndiana, have invented a new and useful Oar-Coupling, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in car-couplings.

The object of my invention is to produce various improvements in thedetails of construction of the coupling for which Letters Patent of theUnited States No. 542,603 were granted me July 9, 1895.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan of one of my improved couplings. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section thereof, the parts being shown in the normaluncoupled position. Fig. 3 is a view in perspective of the knuckle. Fig.4 is a similar view of the locking-lever. Fig. 5 is a detail. Fig. 6 isa front elevation of the mouth of the draw-head. Fig. 7 is a centralhorizontal section of two couplings, showing the parts in the act ofcoupling. Fig. 8 is a similar view showing the parts in the coupledposition.

The coupling conforms in its general outlines to the J anney type and isadapted to couple therewith.

In the drawings, 9 indicates the draw-head, having a mouth 10 and theusual guard-arm 11. The knuckle 12 is hook-shaped and is composed of theforward or locking arm 13 and the rear arm 14 and is pivotally mountedin the mouth of the draw-head by means of a pin 15, which passes throughthe said drawhead and the rear arm 14 of the knuckle, the said pin beingmounted substantially in line with the line of draft through thedraw-head. Knuckle 12 lies normally in the position shown in Fig. 2 andis yieldingly held in said position by any suitable means, such as aspring 16. The said knuckle is composed of an upper and a lower plate,the two plates being connected together by means of webs 17 and 18, andpivoted between said plates is a locking-lever 19, the rear end of whichis adapted to be forced into position to engage with a lug 20, formed inthe mouth of the draw-head, and the forward end of which is reduced, soas to play between the ends of the plates forming the forward arm of theknuckle, the arrangement being such that as two similar knuckles areforced together the end or nose of one forward arm will force thelooking-lever of the opposite .knuckle into position to engage with thelug 20. The rear end of lever 19 is of such length thata slight play ofthe knuckle is allowed before the said lever will be brought intoengagement with lug 20. Secured to the rear end of lever 19 is one endof a chain 21, the opposite end thereof passing through an opening 22 inthe said end of the draw-head and being secured, preferably, to thecorner of the car. The forward surface of arm 13 and the forward surfaceof arm 14 of the knuckle each has the same contour, and the forwardsurface of arm 14 projects slightly from the mouth of the draw-head.

Formed in the bottom of the mouth of the draw-head are two ribs 25,which are adapted to be engaged by the rear surface of arm 14 when theknuckle is swung outward in the act of coupling, the said ribs receivingthe blow occasioned by the operation.

A pin-hole 26 is formed through the end of arm 13 of the knuckle, so asto allow for a link-and-pi'n coupling, the link passing between theupper and lower plates of the knuckle.

The exact shape of the rear surface of the knuckle is not material, butit is advisable that surface 27 of the knuckle and surface 28 of themouth of the draw-head be segments of a circle struck from the center ofpin 15. By this construction surfaces 27 and 28 may lie close togetherin every position of the knuckle, and thus prevent the entrance of smallobjects into the mouth of the draw-head.

For the purpose of forming a bearing for the pivot 29 of lever 19 asocket is formed on the inner surface of one of the plates of theknuckle by means of an annular flange 30, and a somewhat similar socketis formed on the other plate by means of a flange 31, the said flange31, however, forming an incomplete ring, so that in inserting the leverbetween the plates of the knuckle one end of pivot 29 is inserted in thesocket formed by ring 30, and the other end is then slipped into theincomplete ring formed by flange 31, and the ends of said incompletering are peened over, so as to retain the lever in position. It will benoticed that the opening in ring 31 is in such position than anypressure normally brought to bear against lever 19 in the ordinaryoperation of the coupling will have no tendency to force the said leverfrom its bearings.

The operation is as-follows: The coupling is normally in the positionshown in Fig. 2, the knuckle being in the same position as when two suchcouplings are actually coupled together, said knuckle being yieldinglyheld in position by the spring or by any other suitable means. Thelocking-lever, however, owing to the weight of the chain, is swung uponits pivot, so that the rear end thereof will be free from lug 20. \Vhentwo such couplings are brought together, the forward or looking arms ofeach knuckle come into engagement with each other, and the forwardsurfaces of said arms are so shaped that as the two couplings are forcedtogether the said knuckles are swung outward upon their pivots againstthe action of spring 16, such swinging being permitted owing to the factthat the rear end of the locking-lever is held out of engagement withlug 20 by the weight of the chain 21. As the two couplings are broughtnearer together the ends of arms 13 pass each other and the forwardsurface of each arm 13 comes into engagement with the outer end of theforward surface of arm 14 of the opposite knuckle, thus causing eachknuckle to swing inward upon its pivot and thus bring the two knucklesinto the position shown in Fig. 8. The inward movement of each knuckleis also aided by the action of spring 16. As the knuckles come togetherthe end of each arm 13 comes into' engagement with the forward end ofthe lockinglever of the opposite coupling and causes said lever to swingupon its pivot, thereby bringing the rear end of each of said leversinto position to en gage with the corresponding lug 20, thus lockingeach knuckle in the coupled position. To uncouple, the operator pullsupon either one of chains 21. One of levers 19 is thus caused to swingupon its pivot, the forward end of said lever engaging with the end ornose of the opposite knuckle, at the same time causing the knucklecarrying the said lever to swing upon its pivot, a limited pivotalmovement of each knuckle being permitted because the rear end of lever19 is not directly in engagement withits cooperating lug 20. As soon asthe knuckles begin to swing outward the forward ends of thelocking-levers are swung upon their pivots, owing to the weight of chain21, and the rear ends thereof are thereby drawn out of the way of lugs20, thus allowing the knuckles to swing to' their extreme outwardposition, so that they may be withdrawn one from the other.

As soon as the couplings are separated each knuckle is forced back toits original position by spring 16.

In the forward movement of a train the locking-levers play no part inthe action of the coupling and would be necessary only in uncoupling;but in going around curves or in backing the forward surface of each arm13 comes into engagement with the forward surface of the opposite arm14, and the relative arrangement of these surfaces is such that inrounding curves or in backing each knuckle will cause a slight outwardmovement of the opposite knuckle, thus forcing the rear end of eachlocking-lever into engagement with its cooperatin g lug, thus preventinga further outward movement of either knuckle and causing the pressure tobe evenly distributed and communicated to the draw-head through thepivot 15 and also through the locking-lever and lug 20.

I claim as my invention 1. In a car-coupling, the combination with thedraw-head thereof, of a knuckle pivoted therein through its rear arm,the forward surface of the front arm of said knuckle having the samecontour as the forward surface of the rear arm thereof and the saidforward surface of the rear arm projecting from the mouth of thedraw-head upon both sides of the pivotal point of said knuckle inposition to be engaged, upon both sides of the pivot, by the forwardsurface of the forward arm of the opposing knuckle when said knuckle isin its closed position, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head thereof, of aknuckle pivoted therein through its rear arm, the forward surface of thefront arm of said knuckle having the same contour as the forward surfaceof the rear arm thereof and the said forward surface of the rear armprojecting from the mouth of the draw-head upon both sides of thepivotal point of said knuckle in position to be engaged, upon both sidesof the pivot, by the forward surface of the forward arm of the opposingknuckle when said knuckle .is in its closed position, and means foryieldingly holding said knuckle in the normal, or coupled, position,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head thereof, of aknuckle pivoted therein through its rear arm and the forward surface ofsaid rear arm projecting from the mouth of the draw-head upon each sideof the pivotal point of the knuckle, the arrangement being such that theforward surface of the forward arm of the opposing knuckle will engagethe rear arm of said knuckle upon each side of the pivotal pointthereof, substantially as described.

4. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head thereof, of aknuckle pivoted therein, and a locking-lever pivoted to said knuckle andadapted to be engaged by the oooperating knuckle of an opposite couplingand thereby forced into position to engage with the draw -head andthereby lock the knuckle therein, substantially as set forth.

5. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head thereof, of aknuckle pivoted centrally therein through its rear arm, and alocking-lever pivoted to said knuckle and adapted to be engaged by theknuckle of an opposite coupling and thereby forced into position toengage with the draw-head and thereby lock the knuckle therein,substantially as described.

6. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head thereof, of aknuckle pivoted therein, a locking lever pivoted to said knuckle andadapted to be engaged by the knuckle of the opposite coupling andthereby forced into position to engage with the drawhead and therebylock the knuckle therein, means for yieldingly holding the knuckle inits normal, orcoupled, position, and means for normally holding thelocking-lever out of position to engage with the drawhead, substantiallyas described.

7. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head thereof, of aknuckle pivoted therein, a locking lever pivoted to said knuckle andadapted to be engaged by the knuckle of the opposite coupling andthereby forced into position to engage with the drawhead and therebylock the knuckle therein, I

means for yieldingly holding the knuckle in its normal, or coupled,position, and means, such as a chain, secured to the locking-lever andadapted to normally hold the said lever out of position to engage withthe draw-head, the arrangement being such that the knuckle may be swungupon its pivot by the said means, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

8. In a car-coupling, the combination with the draw-head thereof, of aknuckle pivoted therein through its rear arm and having the forwardsurface of said rear arm projecting from the mouth of the draw-head andadapted to be engaged by the forward surface of the forward arm of thecooperating knuckle, a locking-lever pivoted in said knuckle and adaptedto be engaged by the said cooperating knuckle and thereby forced intoposition to engage with the draw-head, the arrangement being such thatwhen the forward surface of the front arm of the cooperating knuckle isbrought into engagement with the forward surface of the rear arm of thefirstmentioned knuckle the said locking-lever will be forced intoengagement with the drawhead, substantially as and for the purpose setforth.

PHILIP 0. BROWN. lVitnesses:

A. M. H001), Jos. I. IRWIN.

